C84 Damn Friend

The night sky was as deep as a pool, and the air was cool and crisp. A crescent moon hung like a bow in the cold sky, and an occasional breeze sent a chill through the bones.

Inside the Heaven Obeying Hall, Mo Hua carefully pushed open the door to the inner chamber. Dugu Rou had been waiting there for some time, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked up.

"Your Majesty, I got it!" Mo Hua said as she approached the table, pulling a small black porcelain bottle from her sleeve and placing it respectfully on the table. "This is a love potion I procured from the Virtue Helping Hall in the Nether Market. It's specifically used for enhancing romance and is very effective."

Dugu Rou picked up the bottle, about to open it, but Mo Hua stopped her. "Your Majesty, you mustn't. It's a vapor inside. You only need to open it for a few moments when needed. The doctor at the Virtue Helping Hall said it's hard for anyone to detect, and even if they do, there's no evidence."

Dugu Rou was astonished. "Something like this exists?"

"I... I heard about it from the Golden Jade Tower," Mo Hua admitted quietly.

Dugu Rou wasn't born into nobility. In fact, her family's status in the capital couldn't compare to the four great Marquis Mansions. She was well aware of the various trades and secrets within the capital. She knew what kind of place the Golden Jade Tower was. She just never imagined she'd find herself relying on such means to keep a man.

"Your Majesty..." Mo Hua called softly, seeing Dugu Rou deep in thought.

"Is Virtue Helping Hall reliable?" Dugu Rou asked indifferently as she put away the porcelain bottle.

Mo Hua nodded. "Virtue Helping Hall and Fong Qi aren't affiliated with the Crown Prince, and I was very careful not to be recognized when I went."

Dugu Rou sighed with relief, her mind drifting to Qin Chun's proposal.

"Your Majesty, forgive my boldness..." Mo Hua frowned, puzzled as she looked at Dugu Rou. "It seems like the Marquis isn't gaining much from this situation!"

"He mentioned hoping Qi Country could unite the central lands," Dugu Rou replied nonchalantly.

Mo Hua still didn't understand. "Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?"

"You don't know him. I once heard a woman describe the Marquis as a natural-born strategist, skilled in battle but restless in peace. His nature is hard to change. Back then, because of that woman, he tried several times to incite Beiming Yuan to conquer the capital but failed. Now that she's gone, no one can suppress his warlike tendencies..."

"If she knew the Marquis was dangerous, why..." Mo Hua was confused.

"She valued his talent," Dugu Rou sneered. "That woman didn't die unjustly. Those who aim for greatness often have a bleeding heart. Did she think she was some kind of savior?"

Thinking of Dugu Yan, Dugu Rou felt a surge of resentment. If it weren't for her bringing her into the center of power, she wouldn't have developed a craving for it. Now, she wouldn't be suffering the pain of unfulfilled desires. Great favors can turn into enmity, just like that...

The next day, the Martial Academy's curriculum shifted from individual study to an introductory trial. As the name suggests, the introductory trial is a simple warm-up phase, preparing for the real test. The trial consists of five groups of four. The location is the back mountain, and the target is snakes. The group with the most captures wins.

Xie Xuan wasted no time with unnecessary words. After a few brief instructions, he sent all twenty freshmen into the trial area in the back mountain.

"Tiange, do you think Instructor Xie is out of his mind? Catching snakes in the dead of winter—does he just hate seeing people get a good night's sleep?" Su Hu complained non-stop since entering the mountain.

Feng Tiange stopped and looked coldly at Su Hu. "Earlier, when Gu Ruochen wanted to team up with me, why didn't you go with Jun Wushang?"

When they entered the mountain, the four of them had agreed to split into two paths to increase their chances of capturing more snakes. Feng Tiange was all for it when Gu Ruochen came over, but Su Hu had squeezed in beside her.

"Why should I be so sensible?" Su Hu raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I don't like being with Jun Wushang."

"I don't like being with you either," Feng Tiange replied, turning to continue on. She understood very well why Xie Xuan wanted them to catch snakes. Being able to sense the underground presence through inner strength was the best way to test their internal cultivation.

"It's alright, I just like being with you," Su Hu said, trailing behind Feng Tiange. "Wait up for me, okay? Are there going to be wolves...?"

Suddenly, Feng Tiange stopped abruptly, driving a wooden sword into the ground with force. As she lifted it, a spray of blood shot out, dust swirling around them. Su Hu watched in shock as she pulled a snake off the sword's tip and tossed it into a basket on her back. "Isn't that a bit too harsh?" he asked, stunned.

"In battle, if you're not ruthless, you'll be the one facing it," Feng Tiange replied, continuing on her way. She recalled a time when she had spared an enemy assassin, only for him to turn back and cause the loss of over twenty of her soldiers. Sometimes, being merciless to your enemies is not just about self-preservation; it's about protecting the comrades who fight alongside you. You can't label anyone as evil—that's just war.

Su Hu couldn't quite grasp the weight of her words and shrugged, thinking he'd probably never see a battlefield in his life.

Not far ahead, Feng Tiange spotted Xie Ruxuan. "She doesn't seem to like you much," Su Hu remarked, catching up with a tone that hinted at schadenfreude. Feng Tiange stopped, her cold gaze fixed on Su Hu's face. Su Hu, genuinely curious, asked, "Why are you looking at me when Xie Ruxuan is over there?"

Before Feng Tiange could speak, Su Hu, looking all too eager, stepped forward with his hands on his hips. "Xie Ruxuan, you want a fight, huh? Bring it on! I'm not scared of you!"

Behind him, Feng Tiange was sweating bullets.

There's no real trouble in life, just troublesome friends! Was her look meant to send Su Hu into the lion's den?

To Feng Tiange's surprise, the usually arrogant Xie Ruxuan didn't take the bait. She just shot them a fierce glare and walked away.

What a rare sight! Ever since Xie Ruxuan returned to the Martial Academy, she's toned it down quite a bit.

"I heard Xie Ruxuan's been having issues with her group. Apparently, she even got into a fight once," Su Hu said, full of gossip, as he returned.

Feng Tiange nodded. You choose your path, you walk it, no matter what.

"If you can't catch the snake, we'll push you to improve the same way," Feng Tiange said, her voice cold and unyielding.

"It's not that I won't catch it; I'm just scared of snakes, really scared! Terrified!" Su Hu thought for a moment. "I've shown you my weakness. To be fair, can you tell me what you're afraid of?"

Feng Tiange's gaze was sharp as an eagle's.

I'm afraid I might accidentally kill you—

In the distance, at the Sword Holding Small Building, Gongsun Pei's eyes never left Su Hu.

Thus, Rong Qi suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Su Hu.

Rong Qi had seen that intense look in Gongsun Pei's eyes a few times before, the last being six months ago.

"I'm getting old. If possible, I'd like to take him as my apprentice," Gongsun Pei said, and with that, Rong Qi knew Su Hu's fate was sealed.

If there was one thing Gongsun Pei loved most in life, it was taking on apprentices. Yet, up to now, he had only successfully trained three students.

Rong Qi had once discussed this with Jiang Yi, the current leader of the martial arts alliance and Gongsun Pei's least promising student. According to Jiang Yi, the reason he became Gongsun Pei's student and stuck it out was not because of his martial arts skills. In fact, it was precisely because he wasn't skilled that he ended up where he did.

​